Sun.’s Devo - The Day of Atonement

Read: Leviticus 16:29-18:30; Mark 7:24-8:10; Psalm 41:1-13; Proverbs 10:15-16 On the tenth day of the seventh month God set the day said as the Day of Atonement when the people would bring sacrifices to atone for the nation. It was a national day of repentance. There was to be no work on that day because it was a holy day. It was the one day of the year where the high priest would go into the Holy of Holies and offer atonement for the people. *** Anyone who killed one of their animals was to bring an offering to the Lord because to remove the guilt of shedding blood. If he didn’t bring the sacrifice to the Lord, he was to be cut off from his people. *** They were to stop offering sacrifices to demons. They were not to eat the blood of any beast because their life was in that blood. *** In Chapter 18 God gives the laws of sexual morality. They were not to lie with anyone who was kin to them or that belonged to someone else. Verse 18 says not to marry two sisters or it would make them rivals. We saw that carried out in Rachel and Leah. Some of the things listed God called these sexual sins: wicked acts, violations, defilements and detestable sins. These were the acts that were done in Egypt and would be done in the land they were going but they were not to participate in them or the land would vomit them out of the land just as it was vomiting the inhabitants for them to possess it. *** Jesus went to Tyre and stayed at a place he thought would be secret but a lady found out and fell at his feet. She told Jesus of her daughter who was possessed by demons. She was not a Jew so Jesus said that he must first feed the children from is own family. It was not right to take their food and throw it to the dogs. But she answered that even the dogs under the table are allowed to eat the scraps from the children’s plates. Jesus told her that was a good answer. Then he healed her daughter. *** Jesus then went to Sidon and met a deaf man with a speech impediment. He begged Jesus to lay his hands on him and heal him. Jesus led him away from the crowd and put his fingers in the man’s ears. Then he spit on his fingers and touched the man’s tongue. Looking up to heaven he said, “Be opened.” Instantly the man could hear and speak plainly. *** Jesus told the crowds not to tell people but the more he told them not to tell, the more they told. The crowds grew until there were more than 4,000 people. They were hungry so Jesus asked his disciples how much food they had. They came up with a few fish and seven loaves. Jesus blessed the food and it multiplied to feed the crowd. Seven large baskets of leftover food was taken up. *** Jesus and his disciples left immediately to cross over to the region of Dalmanutha which means “the poor portion”. *** Lord, your compassion is limitless. Thank you that your desire is to make us clean and completely whole.